"Literature in Series": First Impressions' review

The following review was written by Amanda, from "Literature in series" blog. This is not the complete text. If you wish to read the original, it's on http://www.literaturaemserie.com/2015/01/eu-li-primeiras-impressoes.html #more

This is a story inspired by "Pride and Prejudice". Fans of Jane Austen know that "First Impressions" was the original title of this classic novel, before it was officially published. LRDO already introduces us to her great ideas by choosing this particular title.

The vast majority of characters are still called the same. However, one can not read this book thinking that you'll find a faithful/modern adaptation of the classic. The author used all her talent to create her own story, using her [and my] favorite book as an inspiration.

I think I can talk about the plot without fear of spoling anything because this plot is already well known. I won't reveal anything that could jeopardize one's reading, but I will openly refer to some major aspects.

Liz is graduated in Literature from Boston University. Her parents own hotels in Brazil, with two other partners. She has three sisters: Jane, Maria and Lídia (Kitty is not present in this book). Jane went to Law School in the United States and Liz's best friend, Charlotte, also studied with them abroad.

The three decide to spend the holidays in Buzios, where are located the family's hotels. Parallel to this, two American friends are looking for a location to open a restaurant. The guy who will make the investment is called Charles and he tries to convince his friend, Fred, it will be a good deal. Along with them is Caroline, Charles' sister.

I confess that I began reading imagining I would find all the details from the original story. I figured that I'd read something faithfully translated into the twenty-first century. And to my pleasant surprise, it was not quite what happened.

Many different situations are described by Laís. The troubled relationship between the main characters is narrated quite differently, but it pleased me greatly. Although the characters' names and personalities are pretty similar to the original, Liz Benevides and Frederick Darcy are Laís' characters, not Jane Austen's.

The story has a lot in common with "Pride and Prejudice", but it has its own charm. So, I must stop here my comparisons. This work deserves undivided attention, thanks to the author's delicious way of writing.

Best Quotes: Chapter 1

 

"Are you sure about this, Charlie? This is, after all, a third world country!"

 

 

Lizzie didn’t waste her time dreaming with prince charming.

 

 

The only thing Lizzie was sure of was that she couldn’t call Frederick Darcy an ugly man.

 

 

He’d just been introduced to the beautiful Jane, but Charles was already enchanted.

 

 

Frederick Darcy was exactly how he seemed to be the moment he’d arrived at the party. Unpleasant, severe and taciturn.

 

 

“Charles is wonderful. Almost too good to be true, Lizzie.”

 “Usually, when someone seems to be like that, it really means he’s too good to be true, Jane.”

 

 

“You must’ve had real fun, Charlie. But, honestly, you danced with the only beautiful woman in the party.”

 

 

First Impressions by LRDO

Soon available on Wattpad

 

 

Why do we love Mr. Darcy?

The question may seem stupid, because I'm talking about every woman’s favorite male character for more than two centuries! However, if we study Mr. Darcy’s personality rationally, we find that our attraction to him cannot be explained casually.
A severe, taciturn and antisocial man. Not only the first impressions of Elizabeth Bennet. He’s really like that sometimes. Even though he gets better in matters of his pride and initial prejudice, no one can describe the miserable-half-Pemberley owner as friendly, charismatic or - much less - cute (as his best friend, Charles Bingley, sure is).

 

So, why the hell are we all eternally in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy, and sigh every time he appears in Austen’s wonderful novel (or in the 2005 movie, or in the BBC’s TV series, or who cares where else)?

 

Certainly, I cannot answer for all of us, but, after much thought, I came to a few key factors to his irresistible charm. First, he has something we look for in any life partner: loyalty. Darcy is loyal to his friends, his family, and mostly, to his beloved. And his faithfulness does not require reciprocity: even after being rejected by Lizzie, he spares no effort to help her younger sister, the clueless Lydia. His integrity is so strong that he even makes everyone involved in the case swear absolute secrecy, probably in order to avoid making Lizzie feel obligated to return the favor. Is there any better prove of love?

 

Oh, Darcy ...

Another appealing feature is his full dedication to his family and close friends. And, unlike the idea we have of him in the beginning, he has great respect and consideration for those in inferior conditions. Nothing better to know the true nature of someone than to observe how he treats his subordinates. And Darcy’s admire him affectionately.

Finally (as if I needed to say anything else), he’s a very discreet man, something incredibly rare, especially in the internet and social networks Era. Now, ex-boyfriends expose their former loved ones in terrible – and most intimate– ways, posting everywhere nude pictures taken when the couple was happy (or worse, sometimes those were taken without the girlfriend’s authorization

I believe, therefore, that we love - and will always love - Mr. Darcy because we are in an eternal and arduous search for someone with his character. Of course it feels amazing to go out with a cute, hot, fun, popular and spontaneous guy. But raising a family? Sharing a life? Being best friends forever (and for real)? For those, we require a Mr. Darcy.

New Partnership: "No Matter What"

Check out my new partnership with the adorable blog “No Matter What”! I have changed a few words during the translation.

You can find the original post on the following link: http://lerissakunzler.blogspot.com.br/2014/11/novas-parcerias-do-nmw-5.html

“About the author: Lais is the author of First Impressions, a very nice book that was inspired by the classic Pride & Prejudice, written by British author Jane Austen. It is an adaptation of the story that happens in the twenty-first century.

Laís was born in Salvador in 1986. As a teenager, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she graduated in Law School and got a Master’s degree. She currently lives in Brasilia, and began writing in 2013, the same year that she developed the movie blog www.lrdo.com.br. She also collaborates with the literature blog “Mulheres Ventaneras”, for which she writes short stories. A classical literature lover and a big fan of Jane Austen, Laís also plans to adapt other beautiful works of her favorite author.

I confess that I started reading the book as soon as I received it, a few days ago! I’ll write a review pretty soon, so pay attention!!

And now the book is on Skoob too, you can check here and add it to your bookshelf:
http://www.skoob.com.br/livro/420188ED477253-primeiras-impressoes

And Laís, thank you very much for the opportunity!!”

My favorite quotes: Pride & Prejudice

10. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

9. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.

8.I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh.

7.Could there be finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the very essence of Love?

6.He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter. So farwe are equal.

5.We are all fools in Love.

4.A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.

3.Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.

People themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.

2.Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

1.Our scars make us know that our past was for real.

Interview with LRDO in the Brazilian blog "For a Good Reading"

The blog "For a good reading" interviewed me a few weeks ago and I'm going to share it with you. Hope you enjoy it! Some of the sentences were a little bit changed during the translation, and not all questions are here. But if you want to read the original post, you can find it on http://www.porumaboaleitura.com.br/2014/11/mudando-de-assunto-entrevista-com_15.html.

1) When did you decide you wanted to be an author?

I always felt much pleasure in books, I used to spend hours reading about worlds created by others and kept imagining my own. One day, I decided to put some of my crazy ideas on paper. I never stopped. Currently, in addition to First Impressions, I write short stories (some of which are published on the blog Mulheres Ventaneras) and have a movie blog, called LRDO.

2) Is First Impressions your first book? Do you intend to write more?

First Impressions is my first published book, but I have another one written, although its theme (dystopian future) is completely different. Moreover, I want to adapt other works of Jane Austen and organize collections with some of the short stories I've written. I used to think there was nothing more pleasurable than reading, until I discovered the amazing feeling of writing.

3) Your book is a modern adaptation of the classic Pride and Prejudice. How is your relationship with this Jane Austen work?

Jane Austen was the first author to which I was introduced (and one of the few, in my opinion) that can combine romanticism and feminism, light reading with sarcasm, a fun story with a critical eye. Many of her female characters are still revolutionary, although they were created in the nineteenth century. My relationship with her is one of respect and admiration, even devotion.

4) What can your readers expect from First Impressions?

I certainly do not desire to compare myself with one of the greatest authors of all time. However, I do believe that readers will find the book a fun, light and enjoyable read with a critical humor. The story involves the classic characters we’re familiar with in twenty-first century situations. Besides that, the timeless romance between Lizzie and Darcy is always present. What I wanted with First Impressions was to remain faithful in my attempt to bring it to our world, our reality. I can guarantee that I tried my best to keep the spirit of Pride and Prejudice.

5) What was the greatest difficulty to adapt Pride and Prejudice in a panorama of Rio de Janeiro and the US in the twenty-first century?

For her reality, Jane Austen was a globalized author. None of her books takes place in only one scenario. With her intriguing novels, we get to know various regions of the nineteenth-century England. Therefore, the greatest difficulty was not, honestly, the choice of places, but the adaptation of the characters and situations themselves. Fidelity to a story can be tricky: on one hand it guides you, on the other offers you a few obstacles, since it’s pretty complicated to “modernize” a specific context of a time and a place in History, especially when we’re talking about one of the most notorious novels in the world.

6) How was the process of creating your book?

I had a lot of support from my family and my husband. Luckily, my mother and sister are also Austen’s fans (the latter was the one who introduced me to P & P), and offered me great notes and comments about everything. My father and my husband weren’t shy in their suggestions either.

7) Leave a message for our readers

Reading is more than entertainment. It's the way we do the impossible: we can do magic and create new worlds, we can have wings or supernatural powers. In the literary world, we can be anithing and create everything. Not even the sky has limits. There are no limits.